To dictate in Japanese on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation (音声入力 on a Japanese-language Mac), click Edit next to Languages, and select Japanese (Japan). Start Dictation and choose Japanese from the language shown next to the cursor. Apple lists Japanese for on-device dictation and automatic punctuation. Dictation is a separate setting from your Japanese input source (Kana or Romaji), which you still use to type and fix kanji conversions.
The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27, and its Japanese edition, Macでメッセージや書類を音声入力する. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" or 音声入力.
How do you turn on Japanese dictation?
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard (キーボード) in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation (音声入力) and turn it on.
- Click Edit (編集) next to Languages (言語) and select Japanese.
- Stay online while the Mac sets it up. Apple's feature page says on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
- In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and check that the language next to the cursor shows Japanese. Apple says languages appear "as abbreviations or characters that represent the language".
Dictation language vs Japanese input source: what is the difference?
They are two different settings in the same Keyboard pane:
| Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation language | Keyboard → Dictation → Languages | Decides which language Dictation listens for |
| Input source | Keyboard → Text Input → Edit | Decides how your typing becomes text: Japanese – Kana or Japanese – Romaji |
Apple's Japanese Input Method guide describes adding Japanese – Kana or Japanese – Romaji under Text Input, and notes that Romaji "is useful when you're not using a Japanese keyboard". Apple's Write in another language on Mac adds that a new input source's language is automatically added to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)".
Apple's Dictation guide does not say you need a Japanese input source active to dictate Japanese; it describes choosing the dictation language next to the cursor. The input source matters when you correct what you dictated.
Which Japanese features does Mac Dictation support?
From Apple's macOS feature availability page, checked on 1 October 2026:
| Feature | Japanese (Japan) |
|---|---|
| Dictation | Yes |
| On-device dictation | Yes |
| Auto-punctuation | Yes |
| Dictate emoji | Yes |
| More advanced Dictation (Apple Intelligence) | Not listed; Apple lists it for English regions only |
Apple lists one Japanese variant: Japan. Apple says the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings shows whether general dictation is processed on your Mac. Is Mac Dictation private? explains what that means.
How does Japanese punctuation work in Dictation?
Apple's guide says that in supported languages Dictation inserts punctuation automatically, and Japanese is on that list. The setting is Auto-punctuation, shown as 自動句読点 in the Japanese edition, under Keyboard → Dictation.
Apple also publishes a Japanese command list, Macでテキストの音声入力に使えるコマンド. Some entries:
| Say (Japanese) | Result shown on Apple's page |
|---|---|
| ピリオド / 点 / ドット / フルストップ | . |
| カンマ | , |
| 疑問符 | ? |
| 感嘆符 | ! |
| コロン | : |
| 引用符 / 終わりの引用符 | “ ” |
| 開き丸かっこ / 閉じ丸かっこ | ( ) |
| 中黒 | ・ |
| 次の行 | new line |
| 次の段落 | new paragraph |
| 円記号 | ¥ |
What the page does not include matters as much. It lists no separate commands for the Japanese marks 、 and 。 or for corner brackets 「」. Its results column shows Western-style characters, and Apple does not explain how these relate to Japanese punctuation. So dictate a test passage and look at what your Mac inserts before you rely on it in a formal document.
The Japanese input source has its own Punctuation setting, described in Apple's Change Japanese input source settings on Mac page, for choosing the marks you type. Apple documents it for typing and does not say that it affects Dictation.
How do you fix the wrong kanji after dictating?
Dictation inserts finished text, so a homophone can appear with the wrong kanji. Apple says ambiguous text is underlined in blue: click it and choose an alternative.
If there is no underline, use the Japanese input source. Apple's Change the Japanese characters you entered describes selecting confirmed characters, pressing Delete, typing the reading again and converting it, then picking from the candidate window. On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple says you can type while Dictation keeps listening.
Can you mix Japanese and English?
You can set up both languages and switch while dictating: click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key and choose. Apple's Dictation guide, checked on 1 October 2026, describes choosing the language yourself and does not describe automatic detection of a language change.
Japanese text often contains English product names. Check how they come out while Japanese is active, and switch to English for whole English sentences. If your Globe key is set to Change Input Source, Apple's input-source page says pressing it moves to the next input source. If the dictation language menu does not appear, click the language next to the cursor instead. Mac dictation shortcut covers that setting.
What about other dictation apps?
Apple's Dictation is free and lists Japanese for on-device dictation and auto-punctuation, so test it first.
SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including Japanese, and its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for Japanese, including punctuation or kanji choice. How to test SuprFlow with another language explains a short test. SuprFlow costs $125 once and has no free tier.
A 10-minute test for your Japanese
- Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one with an English product name, one with a date, an amount and a negation. For example: ジョーダン・チェンさんとの会議は5月14日です。金額は2,750円で、2,570円ではありません。
- Dictate them into Notes with Japanese active and Auto-punctuation on.
- Check which marks appear (、。or , .), the kanji, the name, the figures and the negation.
- Turn Auto-punctuation off, dictate again saying the commands, and compare.
- Fix one wrong kanji with the Japanese input source.
Questions people ask
How do I use Japanese voice input on a Mac?
Add Japanese under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, start Dictation, and choose Japanese from the language shown next to the cursor.
Does Mac dictation add 、 and 。 in Japanese?
Apple lists Japanese for auto-punctuation, but its Japanese command page does not name 、 or 。 and shows Western-style results. Dictate a test passage and check what your Mac inserts.
Do I need a Japanese keyboard to dictate in Japanese?
Apple's Dictation guide does not mention one. Dictation language and input source are separate settings. A Japanese input source helps when you correct kanji.
Does Japanese dictation work offline on a Mac?
Apple lists Japanese (Japan) under on-device dictation, after a speech model download. Keyboard settings confirm whether your dictation is processed on your Mac.
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Dictate in Mandarin or Cantonese on a Mac
- Mac dictation commands and punctuation
- How to test SuprFlow with another language
- Mac dictation shortcut: default keys and how to change them
- Is Mac Dictation private?
Sources
- Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
- Apple — Macでメッセージや書類を音声入力する
- Apple — macOS feature availability: Dictation
- Apple — Macでテキストの音声入力に使えるコマンド
- Apple — Set up a Japanese input source on Mac
- Apple — Change the Japanese characters you entered on Mac
- Apple — Change Japanese input source settings on Mac
- Apple — Write in another language on Mac
- SuprFlow — System requirements